Victories and Tragedies
by leefert
Summary: This is a little bit of a spin on The Price of Nobility. It's an FDNY fic by heart. But it's particularly the story of Lieutenant Johnson. I started it a long time ago and just now finished it.


"Ever since I was a child, I've had firefighting in my blood. There's an allure to the sound of the alarm, the sirens, the smell of smoke. It gets the blood flowing through your veins and your heart races with the thrill of being there, fighting back the fire; there's a special feeling to helping people, who you will most likely never see again. And a reality of knowing that you may not return from a call. But it's worth it. There isn't a better job in the world than being a firefighter!" Lieutenant Johnson says

"Squad 55, Boy 55-3. MVA 95th and Amsterdam." The alarm calls

"Let's go boys and girls!" Lieutenant Johnson says as he heads for the truck the other fire fighters scramble for their bunker gear and head for the truck.

Walsh pulls the engine out of the house. The sirens blare. Jimmy, DK, Lombardo, and Taylor look to each other in the back of the cab. They pull onto the scene and immediately set to work.

"Bosco, what do you have?" Jimmy yells

"Two kids in the back, driver trapped." Bosco replies

Kim looks at the car as she heads past Taylor.

"At least they had the kids in the back" Kim comments

"Yeah, I guess that's a plus" Taylor says looking at the mangled cars that have become their latest job to clean up.

"Lombardo, get the hurst!" Lieu yells

Carlos kneels next to the driver of the other vehicle. She appears mostly shaken by the experience, and but a scratch across her forehead, she seems okay.

"Oh my God! Did I hurt those people?" She cries

Faith stands behind her. Carlos looks up to Faith.

"They'll be okay Ma'am. We need to look you over and make sure that you're okay." Carlos says

Lombardo cuts away at the frame to free the trapped and scared children. Kim leans in to check on them. She leans back out of the car.

"We need another bus! Carlos, get over here. I need your help!" Kim yells

"Taylor! Help Kim out." Lieutenant Johnson instructs he then gets on the radio "Engine 55 to Central. Where's that other bus?"

"Adam 55-3 is in route." The radio replies.

"The second bus is in route!" Lieu tells Kim and Carlos.

Taylor slowly removes a little girl from the back of the car. She is scared and crying.

"You're alright sweetie. I've got you, you're alright." Taylor calmly reassures.

"Daddy!" The little girl wails.

Jimmy leans into the car to get the little boy.

"Hey buddy." Jimmy smiles, "let's get you out of here."

Jimmy extends his hand to the frightened little boy. "What about my daddy?" the little boy asks.

"We're going to make sure that you're alright, the other fire fighters are working to get your daddy out of the car. But we need you to come with us." Jimmy says as Kim looks on.

Jimmy always had a way with children. That was the trait he had that Kim admired most. The little boy takes Jimmy's hand and Jimmy helps him out of the car.

Kim and Carlos wait as Lombardo finishes cutting away the frame. He finishes. Kim and Carlos immediately start to get the driver secured. Kim climbs into the car. She gives Carlos a mournful look.

Doc and a rookie pull onto the scene. They grab the bags.

"What do you have Carlos?" Doc asks

"Driver was trapped. His two kids were in the back seat. Taylor's got them. The driver of the other car is with Faith." Carlos replies

"Is our daddy going to be okay?" the little boy asks

"Well sport. Your dad has the best two medics in the city helping him." Jimmy responds attempting to reassure the frightened children.

Doc and the rookie come over and take over care of the children. Taylor and Jimmy walk back over to see if they can assist Kim and Carlos.

"How is he?" Jimmy asks

DK and Lombardo are assisting Carlos and Kim to put the man on a backboard. Carlos shakes his head. Jimmy looks back at the children as Doc and the rookie put them into the bus to get them checked out. Bosco walks back over.

"Well?" Bosco asks with his hands on his hips

They load the gurney into the back of the bus. "I don't know. Jimmy, we need you to drive." Kim says as she closes the doors. Jimmy heads for the front of the bus.

"What's that mean?" Bosco asks perplexed.

"It means probably not." Taylor says as she walks back to the truck.

Later on back at the house the squad is relaxing talking about the softball game they have tomorrow against the boys in blue.

"You know, we better win that game tomorrow!" Jimmy says

"Come on, we're playing the cops. That shouldn't be much of a contest." DK laughs

"This game is for pride. You know, gotta sweep the Camelot games!" Jimmy says

"Pride. Is that all it ever is with you guys?" Taylor asks

"Yeah!" Walsh replies

"I should have figured." Taylor quips

"You playing Taylor?" Lombardo asks

"Of course! I can't let you all have all the fun!" Taylor laughs

"What position you play?" DK asks

"Just put me where ever." Taylor replies

"Right field it is." Walsh cracks

"Hey! That's my position!" Kim yells as she throws a paper towel at Walsh

"Okay so we put Kim in right and Taylor on second." Walsh cracks

"I don't want to be that close to you!" Taylor quips

"Alright, so you all ready to kick some PD butt tomorrow?" Lieu asks

The squad responds in unison "Yeah."

"Alright, then go home and get some rest." Lieu says

The squad gets up and heads out.

Put Me In Coach plays 

It's a beautiful Saturday morning in the park. Bosco is getting his cleats tied for the game. He's got his hat turned around backwards and his game face on.

"Hey Lieu, you ready to kick some bucket boy butt?" Bosco asks

"Yeah Bosco, we've got to defend the title." Lieutenant Swersky replies

Jimmy overhears this as he is walking to his dugout, "Yeah, in your dreams." He thinks to himself.

"Hey Doherty, may the best man win." Bosco says

"Bosco, the best team will win, and at the end of the day it's gonna be the boys in blue crying the blues when we take back our trophy." Jimmy says

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." Bosco says confrontationally

"PLAY BALL!" The umpire yells.

The fire fighters take the field, Kim in right, Walsh in center, Taylor in left, Doherty catching, DK at short, Lombardo at 3rd, Doc at 2nd, Carlos on 1st, and Lieutenant Johnson pitching.

"Alright Lieu, show these boys what you're made of!" Doherty yells slapping his hand in his glove.

Davis steps to the plate. Lieutenant Johnson tosses the first pitch in that Davis swings at but totally misses. The next pitch falls for a ball. Davis then taps the third pitch to DK who fires to first in time to get the speedy cop.

"Alright we got one!" Doherty yells as Bosco steps to the plate, "This should be number two" the animosity between the cop and firefighter clearly showing.

"In your dreams Doherty, this one's going out of the park." Bosco quips as he awaits the first pitch from Johnson. Bosco swings and sends a looping hit into right field. He rounds first a little and claps his hands as the ball returns to the infield.

Sully steps in the box next.

"Sully, you eat anymore donuts and you won't be able to round the bases." Jimmy cracks

"Doherty, if your head gets any bigger it won't fit in your hat." Sully returns

Sully watches the first pitch fall for a ball. The second pitch is fouled off. The third pitch drops in for a strike.

"1 ball, 2 strikes!" The ump announces

Sully connects with the next pitch, a little dribbler that goes up the middle to Lt. Johnson, he turns and throws to second for one out and Doc relays the throw to first for the third out to end the inning.

"See Sully, you quit eating donuts and you'll beat that throw!" Doherty mocks

Under his breath Sully curses Doherty and then grabs his glove to play first.

The cops take the field with Sully at 1st, Candyman catching, Bosco at short, Cruz at 2nd, Davis at 3rd, Lt. Swersky pitching, Sasha in right, Dade in center, and Faith in left.

"Oh look, the Totem pole is at third." Doherty mocks

"Jimmy can you shut up and play?" Taylor asks

"Yeah, I really can only take so much of the trash talking." Lombardo cracks, "And if you keep it up, I'm gonna have to knock you out myself."

"Please!" Kim says

"Okay, I'll shut up." Jimmy says as DK heads to the plate.

They continued to play ball. It was the bottom of the 7th inning. Squad 55 needed 1 run for the bragging rights of the Camelot Crown. The score was NYPD 10, FDNY 9. Jimmy was on second and Taylor at first. There was one out and Lt. Johnson came up to the plate.

"Come on Lieu bring us home." Taylor cheers from first.

Lieutenant Johnson smiled as he watched the first pitch drop in for a ball. The next pitch drops in and Lt. Johnson connects with it sending a shot into centerfield. Dade rushes over to cut it off but Jimmy was already rounding third and Walsh was waving Taylor in too. Lt. Johnson rounded first and headed to second as Taylor approached home. The throw came in but Taylor leaned out of the way of Candyman's tag to score the winning run. Bosco threw his hat in frustration as the Squad celebrated. No one realized that in less than 24 hours tragedy would strike and one of their own would never return.

The triumph turned to tragedy as a police chase turned into an accident. And that accident turned into a death trap. The car that Bosco and Cruz were chasing exploded. Alex Taylor died trying to keep an elderly couple from being scared.

"I don't really like riding on the ambulance anymore" she told the couple

The old man replied, "If you don't mind, we're glad you're here."

Taylor smiled and her deep blue eyes were sincere when she responded to them, "Don't tell anyone, but right now I am too."

The explosion took them all bye surprise. Kim ran towards the car screaming, "ALEX!"

Lieutenant Johnson was badly burned because he had given up his protective coat to help another victim. In an instant joy turned to sadness. Bravery turned to sorrow. At the time all Doc could do was think about how mad he was at Taylor for having an attitude. Sully was mad about having to write up a six-car accident.

Lieutenant Johnson's final words to Taylor were for her to get off to get off of the car. And typical Taylor, she refused. He lay on the ground screaming in pain, Doc was attending to him and yelling for Taylor. He yelled to Carlos because he needed help.

"Is Taylor working with you?" He yelled

Carlos replied "What?"

"Taylor. I don't know where she is." Doc called out he needed help managing Lt. Johnson's airway.

Carlos called back to him, "Doc, you don't…"

"What?" Doc was furious

Carlos fought back his own emotions, "Doc, she's uh…"

It started to sink in what Carlos was trying to say, "Did you give her CPR?"

"Doc she…" Carlos was having trouble with the words.

Doc tried to lecture Carlos on how to treat a trauma patient, "Did you clear her airway?"

"She's gone." Carlos said matter-of-fact.

"What are her vitals?" Doc was not accepting this. Alex wasn't dead.

Once again Carlos said, "She's gone."

Doc argued in disbelief, "What are her vitals?"

"I'm sorry." Carlos stood up

"Breathing, bleeding, airway?" Doc couldn't believe he had to lecture Carlos

"There was nothing to be done." Carlos replied

Walsh helped Doc to load Lt. Johnson into the ambulance. Doc worked feverishly while they were one their way to Mercy. Walsh was in overdrive, he was numb. He knew that Lt. Johnson needed to be at the hospital and he aimed to get him there fast.

They rolled into the ER. The trauma team immediately took over as the crew of firefighters watched. Walsh barely took his eyes off of his superior, except to turn around as Carlos and Kim brought the stretcher in with Alex's lifeless body. He returned his gaze to his superior. Lt. Johnson had to be okay. He couldn't handle losing them both. He couldn't handle losing his best friend and his mentor.

They stabilized Lt. Johnson and sent him to the burn center to recover from his injuries. It was a long fought battle, but Lt. Johnson returned to his house. It was a year later, but he was glad to be back. He looked at the door and then he entered.

The firehouse was decorated nicely. Lieutenant Johnson was taken aback by the effort his squad put into his return. He stops to look at the cards and letters that are posted on the wall it felt good to be back home. There was one thing that weighed heavy on his heart though… he was returning without one of his own. The memorial was up on the wall by the stairs. Lieutenant Johnson paused a moment to look.

"Bobby Caffey, Tommy Doyle, Alex Taylor." The names and the pictures stung. It stung even worse that he was not at Taylor's funeral. She may have been a pain in the ass at times, but she was a hard worker, a good firefighter, a good paramedic, and one hell of a person.

He continued on towards his office. He was surprised at the top of the stairs when he found balloons and a cake, and his whole squad sitting there at the table where they had sat so many times before. Each of them with a smile upon their face. He had to fight the smile he felt coming on, but he couldn't and let it go.

"Welcome back Lieu!" Jimmy said grinning as he patted his superior on the shoulder.

Kim followed and the whole squad made their way through.

"It's great to have you back." Walsh commented

Lieutenant Johnson took it all in, then took a moment to compose himself.

"Thank you." He replied and paused again. "You guys mean the world to me, you know that? I love you all."

With that Lieutenant Johnson turned and entered his office. He sat down in his chair and took time to think. Then he started to sort through the stack of papers on his desk.

It only took a short period of time before the familiarity returned.

"Squad 55, Adam 55-3, Boy 55-3 respond for an MVA Lexington and 23rd."

With that he knew exactly what needed to be done, grabbed his gear and hopped into the truck. He turned and looked at his crew as Walsh was pulling out of the bay.

"This is why we're here!" He grins as he turns back to focusing his attention on the road ahead. Walsh looks over and smiles and then continues to steer the rig through traffic.

"This is why we're here," Johnson mumbles again and smiles proudly. He wouldn't trade it for the world.


End file.
